Saturday, September 8, 2012

- Refinement: Turning your ore and cloth into ingots and bolts. Make as much as you can and don’t hold back. You still get levels for these early into a tier, and you can sell any excess you make for almost zero loss. The higher level you get in this phase, the less you have to make in the Mastercraft phase.

- Base Craft:Making the armor plating and cloth lining. Again, you’re going to make a lot of these, but in specific amounts. The more accurately you follow the guide, the less material you will waste. If at the end of Mastercraft, you may need to make more of these base items if you didn’t get out of your tier.

- Discovery:The best part. Using the discovery tab to power through the levels and make gear. Trick here is to not do the typical MMO grind of making hundreds of items you’re just going to vendor. You’re going to make 1 of each and that’s it.

- Mastercraft:The worst part. You’re still doing discovery, but it takes 8 “Fine Items” per craft. It’s very easy to run out and have to turn to the TP to do this. I can’t offer any advice on farming other than I hope you got enough as you leveled and to buy it from the TP.

0-75: Novice / Bronze

The worst part about this phase is the Jute. It’s almost impossible to farm because salvageable drops are set to your level. If you didn’t collect these in advance, just give up and go to the Trading Post. Copper isn’t so bad. It’s high demand pretty much keeps it a competitive market for farmers.

Using the Insignias you made, discover 16 total items (4x Boots, 4x Pauldrons, 4x Gloves, 4x Helmets). This should push you far enough to start the Mastercraft Phase. If it doesn’t, use a FIFTH “Fine” category to make and discover new armor pieces. Or, if you’re using these to make an armor set, make the pants/chest and discover those.

Mastercraft Phase:

Make 4 Mastercraft-Grade (Green) Insignias using the (4x) Tiny items you have (8 per insignia).

Using the Insignias you made, discover 16 total items (4x Boots, 4x Pauldrons, 4x Gloves, 4x Helmets). This should push you far enough to start the next armor tier. If it doesn’t, use a FIFTH “Fine” item to make and discover new armor pieces. Or, if you’re using these to make an armor set, make the pants/chest and discover those.

75-150: Initiate / Iron

I hope you like iron. Not only did the ratio go from 2:1 to 3:1, just when you think you’re done with iron, lol Steel. You literally have to collect more iron than your deposit can hold (250). Good news is that iron is pretty much everywhere and isn’t too hard to collect.

Using the Insignias you made, discover 16 total items (4x Boots, 4x Pauldrons, 4x Gloves, 4x Helmets). This should push you far enough to start the Mastercraft Phase. If it doesn’t, use a FIFTH “Fine” category to make and discover new armor pieces. Or, if you’re using these to make an armor set, make the pants/chest and discover those.

Mastercraft Phase:

Make 4 Mastercraft-Grade (Green) Insignias using the (4x) Small items you have (8 per insignia).

Using the Insignias you made, discover 16 total items (4x Boots, 4x Pauldrons, 4x Gloves, 4x Helmets). This should push you far enough to start the next armor tier. If it doesn’t, use a FIFTH “Fine” item to make and discover new armor pieces. Or, if you’re using these to make an armor set, make the pants/chest and discover those.

150-225: Apprentice / Steel

Yay, more iron! And still a 3:1 ratio. Ugh. At least you move up a tier in cloth, and at least for me the Fine drops at this tier started to be more reliable.

Using the Insignias you made, discover 16 total items (4x Boots, 4x Pauldrons, 4x Gloves, 4x Helmets). This should push you far enough to start the Mastercraft Phase. If it doesn’t, use a FIFTH “Fine” category to make and discover new armor pieces. Or, if you’re using these to make an armor set, make the pants/chest and discover those.

Mastercraft Phase:

Make 4 Mastercraft-Grade (Green) Insignias using the (4x) Fine items you have (8 per insignia).

Using the Insignias you made, discover 16 total items (4x Boots, 4x Pauldrons, 4x Gloves, 4x Helmets). This should push you far enough to start the next armor tier. If it doesn’t, use a FIFTH “Fine” item to make and discover new armor pieces. Or, if you’re using these to make an armor set, make the pants/chest and discover those.

225-300: Journeymen / Darksteel

Holy shit. Finally done with iron, AND the ratio drops back down to 2:1? Aren’t you a lucky girl. This gear is what I’d call middle tier, and actually sells pretty well. People tend to start rushing when they hit the the level hump, and let their gear fall behind. That’s my guess anyway.

Using the Insignias you made, discover 16 total items (4x Boots, 4x Pauldrons, 4x Gloves, 4x Helmets). This should push you far enough to start the Mastercraft Phase. If it doesn’t, use a FIFTH “Fine” category to make and discover new armor pieces. Or, if you’re using these to make an armor set, make the pants/chest and discover those.

Mastercraft Phase:

Make 4 Mastercraft-Grade (Green) Insignias using the (4x) Fine items you have (8 per insignia).

Using the Insignias you made, discover 16 total items (4x Boots, 4x Pauldrons, 4x Gloves, 4x Helmets). This should push you far enough to start the next armor tier. If it doesn’t, use a FIFTH “Fine” item to make and discover new armor pieces. Or, if you’re using these to make an armor set, make the pants/chest and discover those.

300-375: Adept / Mithril

This is a good phase to be in, because everything you make is almost certainly an upgrade. The rare items you make @375 are both Rare 80 gear, and can be salvage for materials to make the 400 Orichalcum gear. Good tier all around.

Using the Insignias you made, discover 16 total items (4x Boots, 4x Pauldrons, 4x Gloves, 4x Helmets). This should push you far enough to start the Mastercraft Phase. If it doesn’t, use a FIFTH “Fine” category to make and discover new armor pieces. Or, if you’re using these to make an armor set, make the pants/chest and discover those.

Mastercraft Phase:

Make 4 Mastercraft-Grade (Green) Insignias using the (4x) Fine items you have (8 per insignia).

Using the Insignias you made, discover 16 total items (4x Boots, 4x Pauldrons, 4x Gloves, 4x Helmets). This should push you far enough to start the next armor tier. If it doesn’t, use a FIFTH “Fine” item to make and discover new armor pieces. Or, if you’re using these to make an armor set, make the pants/chest and discover those.

375-400: Master / ...Mithril?

The good news is that you’re about to make Rare-Grade gear, which is a solid set for level 80. The bad news is that while most of the formula remained the same, the 300/325 tier fine items you just burnt through are still required. And not 3, or 8, but 15 at a time.

15 Ingots, 19 Bolts, 126 Spools, 90 Fine. (Rare Phase)- This gets you a full set of Rare(Yellow) Lv80 Gear.

The schematics are sold from the Armorsmith Trainer in any major town in one of the side tabs. This goes fast though. Rare-Grade gear gives several levels a time. I also recommend buy buying all the 375 schematics to make Rare-Helmets. The Orichalcum gear requires 5x Globs of Ectoplasm per insignia, which you get by Salvaging Rare quality or higher gear.